Department of Environmental Studies
Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://localhost:4000/handle/20.500.12092/1935
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Item Carbon Sequestration by the Above Ground Biomass Pool in the South West Mau Forest of Kenya, 1985 - 2015(Journal of Environment and Earth Science, 2020) Kinyanjui, Mwangi James; Kigomo, Mathew Kiura; Mburu, David Mwehia; Thuo, Aggrey Daniel Maina; Mundia, Charles NdegwaForests are important for regulation of the global carbon balance. Increase in forest biomass enhances atmospheric carbon sequestration while decrease in forest biomass contributes to carbon dioxide emissions. World over, forest biomass has been declining due to forest loss and degradation. The South West Mau has experienced significant forest loss since 1964. The decline is posited to have significant impacts on carbon sequestration, carbon storage, carbon dioxide emissions and status of atmospheric carbon dioxide. This study assessed interannual trend and variability as well as change point detection in carbon sequestration in South West Mau Forest, Kenya between 1985 and 2015. Above ground biomass carbon sequestration was quantified based on the Carnegie-Ames-Stanford Approach (CASA) and carbon fraction for tropical climate domain. Carbon sequestration dynamics were characterized by increase-decrease cycles of approximately 3 years and low interannual variability (CV= 9.13). It emerged that South West Mau Forest was a net carbon emitter with a carbon sequestration balance of -588.40 Kg/ha between 1985 and 2015Item Trend and Variability in Interannual Air Temperature Over South West Mau Forest, 1985 - 2015(Journal of Natural Sciences Research, 2020) Kinyanjui, James Mwangi; Mburu, David Mwehia; Kigomo, Mathew KiuraGlobally high altitude forest regions are considered to be more prone to rapid warming. These regions have also shown great seasonal and inter annual temperatures variability. In Kenya mean annual temperatures increased by 1.00C since 1960. Going by global trends it is plausible to argue that high altitude forest areas in Kenya might have shown great seasonal and inter annual temperatures variability over time. This study assessed interannual trend and variability as well as change point detection in average annual air temperature in South West Mau Forest, Kenya between 1985 and 2015. South West Mau Forest is an indigenous montane ecosystem with a tropical montane climate. Annual average air temperature over the South West Mau forest pointed towards climate warming of 0.01880C per year (Kendall’s tau = 0.3677, p value = 0.0033) but with low interannual variability (CV= 0.11%). A shift in the annual average air temperature of 0.3680C at p= 0.0051 was detected between 19851998 and 1999- 2015. There was a weak positive anomaly in the annual average air temperature with a slope of 0.0192 and R2 = 0.3074. Overall the region experienced climate warming